Boxcar with load restraint system

ABSTRACT

A boxcar and load restraint system are provided with improved load carrying capabilities and performance characteristics of uninsulated boxcars and insulated boxcars. An insulated boxcar with the load restraint system may have increased load carrying capacity, increased service life, and reduced maintenance costs as compared to conventional insulated boxcars. All or portions of the load restraint system may be used in uninsulated boxcars.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Over the years general purpose boxcars have progressed from relativelysimple wooden structures mounted on flat cars to more elaboratearrangements including insulated walls and refrigeration equipment.Various types of insulated and uninsulated boxcars are presentlymanufactured and used. A typical boxcar includes an enclosed structuremounted on a railway car underframe. The enclosed structure generallyincludes a floor assembly, a pair of sidewalls, a pair of endwalls and aroof assembly. Insulated boxcars often include sidewalls, endwalls and aroof formed in part by an outer surface, one or more layers ofinsulation and an interior surface.

The outer surface of many boxcars may be formed from various types ofmetal such as steel or aluminum. The interior surfaces may be formedfrom wood and/or metal as desired for specific applications. For someapplications the interior surfaces may be formed from fiber reinforcedplastic (FRP). Various types of sliding doors including plug type doorsare generally provided on each side of a boxcar for loading andunloading freight.

The underframe for many boxcars includes a center sill with a pair ofend sill assemblies and a pair of side sill assemblies arranged in agenerally rectangular configuration corresponding approximately withdimensions of the floor assembly of the boxcar. Cross bearers and/orcross ties may be provided to establish desired rigidity and strengthfor transmission of vertical loads from an associated floor assembly toassociated side sills which in turn transmit the vertical loads from thefloor assembly to associated body bolsters and distribute horizontal endloads on the center sill to other portions of the underframe. Crossbearers and cross ties generally cooperate with each other to support aplurality of longitudinal stringers. The longitudinal stringers areoften provided on each side of the center sill to support the floorassembly of a boxcar.

Applicable standards of the Association of American Railroads (AAR)established maximum total weight on rail for any railway car includingboxcars, freight cars, hopper cars, gondola cars, and temperaturecontrolled railway cars within prescribed limits of length, width,height, etc. All railway cars operating on commercial rail lines in theU.S. must have exterior dimensions which satisfy associated AARclearance plates. Therefore, the maximum load which may be carried byany railway car is typically limited by the applicable AAR clearanceplate, AAR maximum total weight on rail and empty weight of the railwaycar.

Reducing the empty weight of a railway car or increasing interiordimensions may increase both volumetric capacity and maximum loadcapacity of a railway car while still meeting applicable AAR standards.Traditionally, insulated boxcars have less inside height and width thandesired for cost effective shipment of some types of lading. The maximumexterior width of any boxcar is limited by applicable AAR clearanceplates. The maximum interior width is limited by the amount (thickness)of insulation required to satisfy applicable AAR heat transferlimitations or UA factor. Door operating tubes, door bottom tracks anddoor handles are often built to the extreme width of applicable AARplate diagrams. Locating door assembly components at the maximum widthprovides as much interior width as possible for carrying lading withinan insulated boxcar or uninsulated boxcar. Door assembly components formany conventional insulated boxcars may extend approximately four inches(4″) from each side of the boxcar. Therefore, interior dimensions ofsuch boxcars are also limited by the four inch extension of theassociated door assemblies.

Conventional insulated boxcars may have an inside width of nine feet orless while many uninsulated boxcars often have an inside width ofapproximately nine feet, six inches. Prior insulated boxcars have beenrelatively ineffective at increasing interior volumetric capacity whilemaintaining desired UA rating or minimum insulation efficiency requiredby AAR. At least one insulated boxcar has been built with a nominallength of fifty two feet six inches (52′ 6″) and an interior width ofapproximately nine feet six inches (9′6″). This particular insulatedboxcar had a UA factor of approximately 285 BTU/° F./hour which isgreater than applicable AAR requirements. AAR specifications placevarious requirements on insulated boxcars such as sidewalls, endwalls,floor and roof having a maximum UA factor of 250 BTU/° F./hour for afifty foot boxcar and a maximum UA factor of 300 BTU/° F./hour for asixty foot boxcar.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with teachings of the present invention, disadvantages andproblems associated with both insulated and uninsulated boxcars havebeen substantially reduced or eliminated. One embodiment of the presentinvention may include a dual use or universal boxcar satisfactory forcarrying temperature controlled lading and nontemperature controlledlading. The present invention provides a boxcar and load restraintsystem capable of transporting a wide variety of freight, such as frozenfood products and fresh food products which require temperature controland non-perishable products and paper products which do not requiretemperature control.

An insulated boxcar incorporating teaching of the present invention mayprovide load carrying capacity of a conventional uninsulated boxcar andhave substantially the same UA factor or heat transfer rating as aconventional insulated boxcar. An insulated boxcar and load restraintsystem incorporating teachings of the present invention may provide thesame load pattern and load storage capability as a correspondinguninsulated boxcar.

One aspect of the present invention includes providing a boxcar withinterior surfaces and a load restraint system satisfactory for carryinglading such as coiled steel, lumber, pasteurized and unpasteurized beer,wine, automobile parts, household goods, appliances, electronicequipment, newsprint, paper rolls, paper products, liquid filledcontainers, canned food products and/or packaged food products (bothperishable and non-perishable) and other packaged goods. The presentinvention allows designing sidewall assemblies with load restraintsystems and reasonably priced insulating materials to minimize heattransfer rates between the interior and the exterior of the sidewallassemblies and to maximize load carrying capacity.

Some types of lading such as food products have specific requirementsfor cleaning the interior of a boxcar prior to loading. Water fromcleaning and/or condensation may collect in floor located tie downassemblies and cargo anchors resulting in corrosion and increasedmaintenance costs. Cargo anchors or tie down assemblies located in thefloor of a conventional boxcar often rust and prematurely fail as aresult of corrosion associated with water retained within such cargoanchors or tie down assemblies. The water may also damage paperproducts, food and other types of lading. A load restraint systemincorporating teachings of the present invention may eliminate orsubstantially reduce problems associated with cleaning the interior of aboxcar having conventional tie down assemblies and cargo anchors locatedin an associated floor.

The present invention allows tie down assemblies and anchors associatedwith many conventional boxcars to be removed from the floor to improveheat transfer characteristics. Tie down assemblies and anchors may beattached to or formed as components of structural members associatedwith each sidewall assembly in accordance with teachings of the presentinvention. Placing anchors and tie down assemblies in adjacent sidewallassemblies allows improved cleaning of an associated floor and providesa generally smooth floor surface satisfactory for carrying lading suchas paper rolls or any other lading which may be damaged by conventionaltie down assemblies and cargo anchors located in a floor.

One aspect of the present invention includes placing one or more tiedown assemblies or anchor assemblies in the sidewalls of an insulatedboxcar and preferably having no tie down assemblies or anchor assembliesdisposed within the floor of an insulated boxcar. Eliminating tie downassemblies or anchor assemblies from the floor generally improves heattransfer characteristics of the insulated boxcar. Tie down assembliesand anchors located in the floor of a conventional insulated boxcaroften act as thermal shorts which increase heat transfer rates throughthe floor.

Tie down assemblies and cargo anchors attached to a sidewall assembly inaccordance with teachings of the present invention may havesubstantially increased load carrying capacity as compared with priorsidewall tie down assemblies or cargo anchors. For example floor anchorsassociated with conventional boxcars may be used to restrain loadsweighing thirty thousand pounds (30,000 lbs.). Conventional sidewallanchors are often not able to support this much load. Tie downassemblies and cargo anchors formed in accordance with teachings of thepresent invention may be used to satisfactorily restrain thirty thousandpound steel coils while eliminating or reducing potential risk ofcorrosion and maintaining desired thermal efficiency. For someapplications, a limited number of conventional cargo anchors or loadrestraints may be disposed within an associated floor assembly proximateopenings in the associated sidewall assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, andadvantages thereof, reference is now made to the following writtendescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing in elevation showing a side view of aninsulated boxcar incorporating teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing in section with portions broken awayshowing a plan view of a floor assembly, sidewall assemblies and endwallassemblies incorporating teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing in section with portions broken awayshowing examples of interior surfaces of an insulated boxcarincorporating teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing in section with portions broken awayshowing one example of a floor assembly, a sidewall assembly and a sidesill having components of a load restraint system incorporatingteachings of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing showing an isometric view with portionsbroken of various components of the load restraint system of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing showing an isometric view with portionsbroken away of a sidewall assembly with various components of a loadrestraint system incorporating teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing in section with portions broken awayshowing one example of an endwall assembly satisfactory for use with aninsulated boxcar such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 8 is a schematic drawing in section with portions broken awayshowing one example a double seal assembly satisfactory for use with ainsulated boxcar incorporating teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing in elevation showing a side view ofanother insulated boxcar incorporating teachings of the presentinvention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic drawing showing an isometric view with portionsbroken away of a sidewall assembly, support post and associatedcomponents of a load restraint system incorporating teachings of thepresent invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic drawing showing another isometric view withportions broken away of the sidewall assembly of FIG. 10; and

FIG. 12 is a schematic drawing in section with portions broken awayshowing one example of an endwall assembly satisfactory for use with theinsulated boxcar of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 13 is a schematic drawing showing an isometric view of one exampleof a drain system coupled with floor anchors in accordance withteachings of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Preferred embodiments of the invention and its advantages are bestunderstood by reference to FIGS. 1-13 of the drawings, like numerals areused for like and corresponding parts in the various drawings.

The term “boxcar” often refers to a railway car having a generallyelongated box type structure defined in part by a roof assembly, a floorassembly, a pair of sidewall assemblies, and a pair of endwallassemblies which cooperate with each other to define a generally hollowinterior satisfactory for carrying various types of lading. The terms“boxcar” and “box car” may be used in this application to refer to bothinsulated and uninsulated boxcars.

The terms “side sheet” and “side sheets” may be used in this applicationto refer to any type of material satisfactory to form exterior andinterior surfaces of a sidewall assembly. For some applications, sidesheets may be formed from wood, metal, composite materials orcombinations thereof. Steel alloys and aluminum alloys are examples ofmetals which may be used to form side sheets for a boxcar incorporatingteachings of the present invention. Composite materials such as fiberreinforced plastics in the form of rolled sheets or extruded panels maybe used to form side sheets for a boxcar incorporating teachings of thepresent invention. Other examples of composite materials which may beused to form side sheets include, but are not limited to, plasticpolymers, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and urethane. The side sheets may beformed from composite materials using various techniques such asextrusion and pultrusion.

The terms “end sheet” and “end sheets” may be used in this applicationto refer to any type of material satisfactory to form exterior andinterior surfaces of an endwall assembly. For some applications, endsheets may be formed from wood, metal, composite materials orcombinations thereof. Steel alloys and aluminum alloys are examples ofmetals which may be used to form end sheets for a boxcar incorporatingteachings of the present invention. Composite materials such as fiberreinforced plastics in the form of rolled sheets or extruded panels maybe used to form end sheets for a boxcar incorporating teachings of thepresent invention. Other examples of composite materials which may beused to form end sheets include, but are not limited to, plasticpolymers, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and urethane. The end sheets may beformed from composite materials using various techniques such asextrusion and pultrusion.

Various aspects of the present invention will be described with respectto insulated boxcars 20 and 320. However, the present invention is notlimited to insulated boxcars. For example, some features of the presentinvention may be satisfactorily used to form uninsulated boxcars,temperature controlled railway cars, refrigerated boxcars and any othertype of railway car having at least one sidewall assembly and a floorassembly mounted on a railway car underframe.

A boxcar may be formed in accordance with teachings of the presentinvention to accommodate various geometric configurations and loadcarrying requirements to satisfy specific customer needs concerning sizeand temperature specifications for different types of lading. Examplesof such lading include, but are not limited to, coiled steel, lumber,pasteurized and unpasteurized beer, wine, automobile parts, householdgoods, appliances, electronic equipment, liquid filled containers,newsprint, paper rolls, paper products, nonperishable food products andany other product suitable for transport in a boxcar and does notrequire temperature control. Further examples of such lading include,but are not limited to, perishable food products and any other productsuitable for transport in a boxcar that requires temperature control.

The present invention allows insulated boxcars 20 and 320 to haveflexible loading capability to improve potential for carrying back-haulloads. Insulated boxcars 20 and 320 may be used to carry ladingassociated with both insulated and uninsulated boxcars and may sometimesbe referred to as “universal” boxcars. In the past, materials,configuration, size and components associated with conventionalinsulated boxcars often limited their ability to be effectively used tocarry lading associated with uninsulated boxcars. To accommodate cargothat would typically be shipped using an uninsulated boxcar, insulatedboxcars 20 and 320 may include metal interior surfaces, cargo anchorsand large interior volumes equal to or greater than many uninsulatedboxcars while meeting or exceeding requirements published by the AAR forinsulated boxcars.

Insulated boxcar 20 may include box structure 30 mounted on railway carunderframe 200. For some applications, insulated boxcar 20 may bemodified to include a temperature control system (not expressly shown)and an airflow management system (not expressly shown). For embodimentsof the invention as shown in FIGS. 1-7, insulated boxcar 20 may have anominal length of sixty feet, exterior dimensions which satisfy theAssociation of American Railroads (AAR) Plate F clearance requirementsand associated AAR design and heat transfer requirements. Insulatedboxcar 20 is only one example of a boxcar which may be formed inaccordance with teachings of the present invention.

Box structure 30 may be formed from various components including roofassembly 40, sidewall assemblies 150 and 152, floor assembly 80 andendwall assemblies 120 and 122. Forming various components of boxstructure 30 and railway car underframe 200 in accordance with teachingsof the present invention may result in reducing the empty weight ofinsulated boxcar 20 while at the same time increasing interior volumeand/or load carrying capacity as compared to many conventional insulatedboxcars with the same AAR Plate F clearance and UA factor. For someapplications insulated boxcar 20 may have the same or possibly largerinterior volume or cubic capacity as compared to uninsulated boxcarssatisfying AAR Plate F clearance requirements.

The configuration of sidewall assemblies 150 and 152 may correspond withthe dimensions of AAR Clearance plate F represented by dotted lines 34,36 and 38. Dotted lines 34 and 36 as shown in FIG. 2 represent maximumallowed AAR clearance for boxcar 20. Dotted line 38 as shown in FIG. 4also represents applicable AAR clearance plate dimension.

For embodiments of the present invention as shown in FIGS. 1-7 and 9,railway car underframe 200 preferably includes a pair of body bolsters(not expressly shown) with each body bolster disposed over respectiverailway trucks 202 and 204. The body bolsters may extend laterally fromcenter sill 214. For some applications, each body bolster may includecover plates (not expressly shown) which extend over the wheels ofrailway car trucks 202 and 204. Railway car underframe 200 may alsoinclude center sill 214, longitudinal stringers 230 and side sillassemblies 250 and 252 arranged in a generally rectangularconfiguration. Cross bearers and/or cross ties (not expressly shown) maybe attached to and extend laterally from center sill 214 and respectiveside sill assemblies 250 and 252.

One or more ladders 206 may be attached to the exterior of boxstructures 30 and 330 adjacent to railway car underframe 200. Eachladder 206 may be disposed within a portion of an associated sidewallassembly to minimize interference with applicable AAR clearance plate.Hand brake 208 and other accessory components associated with boxcarsmay also be mounted on railway car underframe 200. Standard railcarcouplings 210 may be provided at each end of railway car underframe 200.Each coupling 210 may include respective end of car cushioning unit 212disposed at each end of center sill 214. See FIGS. 1 and 9.

A plurality of longitudinal stringers 230 preferably extendapproximately the full length of railway car underframe 200 generallyparallel with center sill 214. Longitudinal stringers 230 may bedisposed on associated cross bearers (not expressly shown). Portions offloor assembly 80 may be disposed on longitudinal stringers 230, centersill 214, and respective portions of side sill assemblies 250 and 252.Each longitudinal stringer 230 preferably includes first surface 231 andsecond surface 232. See FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. The number of cross bearersand/or cross ties and longitudinal stringers 230 may be varied dependingupon desired load carrying characteristics for the resulting insulatedboxcar 20.

Various types of floor assemblies may satisfactorily be used to form aboxcar in accordance with teachings of the present invention. FIG. 3shows two different types of floor assemblies 80 and 80a which may beused to form boxcar 20 and/or boxcar 320. Floor assembly 80 may beformed by mounting metal plates on longitudinal stringers 230,associated side sill assemblies 250 and 252 and center sill 214.Alternatively, floor assembly 80a formed from nailable metal planks 84may be used. One example of a nailable metal floor satisfactory for usewith the present invention is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,671 entitled“Railway Freight Car Metal Floor”. Nailable metal floors are availablefrom various vendors.

For some applications, a generally C-shaped channel 216 may be disposedon center sill 214 to accommodate the installation of floor assembly 80.When nailable metal planks 84 are used to form floor assembly 80 a,channel 216 will generally not be required since nailable metal planks84 have increased thickness as compared with the metal plates used toform floor assembly 80. Also, fewer longitudinal stringers 230 may berequired when boxcar 20 includes floor assembly 80 a.

Sidewall assemblies 150 and 152 may be fabricated with respective sidesill assemblies 250 and 252 formed as integral components thereof.Endwall assemblies 120 and 122 may also be formed with all or at leastportions of respective end sill assemblies (not expressly shown) formedas integral components thereof. Side sill assemblies 250 and 252 mayhave substantially the same overall configuration and dimensions. Asshown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 side sill assemblies 250 and 252 may have agenerally C shaped cross section. However, other side sill designs maysatisfactorily be used with a boxcar incorporating teachings of thepresent invention.

Portions of the roof assembly 40, floor assembly 80, sidewall assemblies150 and 152 and/or endwall assemblies 120 and 122 may be formed fromconventional materials such as steel alloys and/or other metal alloysused to manufacture railway cars. Portions of roof assembly 40, floorassembly 80, sidewall assemblies 150 and 152 and/or endwall assemblies120 and 122 may also be formed with insulating materials such as closedcell urethane foam and polyvinyl chloride blocks. For many applications,froth foam or other types of foam insulation (not expressly shown) maybe applied to underframe 200 adjacent to floor assembly 80 to improvethermal heat transfer characteristics of the associated railway boxcar.Examples of various materials which may be used to form a boxcar andload restraint system incorporating teachings of the present inventionare discussed throughout this application.

Various components associated with box structure 30 may be fabricatedindividually and then attached to or mounted on railway car underframe200 to form insulated boxcar 20. Individually manufacturing orfabricating various components of box structure 30 may allow optimum useof conventional railcar manufacturing techniques. Alternatively, one ormore of the components associated with box structure 30 may befabricated and assembled on railway car underframe 200 to allow optimumuse of conventional railcar manufacturing techniques.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the thickness of each sidewall assembly 150and 152 may vary longitudinally between endwall assembly 120 and endwallassembly 122. Conventional sidewall assemblies often have a generallysymmetrical configuration with respect to each other and an associatedrailway car underframe. Sidewall assembly 150 may include first portion150 a, second portion 150 b and third portion 150 c. Opening 154 may beformed between portion 150 a and 150 b. Opening 154 is preferably sizedto receive door assembly 180 which controls access to interior 32 of boxstructure 30.

First portion 150 a and third portion 150 c may have increased thicknessto accommodate additional insulation materials. Second portion 150 b mayhave reduced thickness to accommodate movement of associated doorassembly 180 between its first, closed position as shown in FIG. 1, anda second, open position (not expressly shown). Sidewall assembly 152 mayalso include first portion 152 a with an increased thickness, secondportion 152 b with a reduced thickness, third portion 152 c with anincreased thickness and respective door opening 154. As shown in FIG. 2the arrangement of portions 152 a, 152 b and 152 c may be substantiallyreversed as compared with sidewall assembly 150.

Interior side sheets 160 cooperate with each other to form interiorsurface 162 of each sidewall assembly 150 and 152. Exterior side sheets170 cooperate with each other to form exterior surface 172 of eachsidewall assembly 150 and 152. For some applications sidewall assemblies150 and 152 may be formed with interior metal surfaces 162 and exteriorsurfaces 172 of fiber reinforced plastic or other composite materials.For other applications side sheets 160 and 170 may be formed from metalalloys. For still other applications side sheets 170 may be formed frommetal alloys and side sheets 160 formed from wood and/or compositematerials. Conventional insulating materials such as closed cellurethane foam 88 may be disposed between and bonded with adjacentportions of side sheets 160 and 170.

For embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-7, sidewall assemblies 150 and 152 mayinclude a plurality of support posts 156, side sheets 160 formed frommetal alloys and side sheets 170 formed from fiber reinforced plastic.For some application rolls of relatively thin Fiberglass® material maybe used to form side sheets 170 on sidewall assemblies 150 and 152.Respective side sheets 170 may partially overlap each other to coversubstantially the full length and height of each sidewall assembly 150and 152.

Side sheets 160 may be attached with first or interior surfaces 157 ofeach support post 156. See FIG. 5. Respective beams 166 may be bondedwith or attached to second surface 158 of each support post 156 oppositefrom side sheets 160. For some applications beams 166 may be formed frompolyvinyl chloride (PVC) type materials and may have the general crosssection of an I beam. Side sheets 170 may be bonded with each beam 166opposite from respective support post 156.

For some applications blocks 168 may be disposed within each sidewallassembly to aid in maintaining liquid foam at desired locations duringsolidification. See FIGS. 4 and 5. Various types of insulationincluding, but not limited to, closed cell urethane foam 88 may beinjected or poured into void spaces defined in part by side sheets 160,support posts 156, beams 166 and side sheets 170. Pour foam may beinjected faster into void spaces and will generally cure faster ascompared to other types of insulating foam. Since pour foam oftenexperiences higher pressures while curing, sidewall assemblies 150 and152 and endwall assemblies 120 and 122 will generally be placed inappropriate fixtures (not expressly shown) during the curing process.After sidewall assemblies 150 and 152, endwall assemblies 120 and 122and roof assembly 40 have been mounted on and attached to railway carunderframe 200, froth foam may be added to or sprayed into any remainingvoid spaces. Pour type urethane foam may be obtained from varioussuppliers including, but not limited to, Carpenter Company. Froth foammay also be obtained from various suppliers including, but not limitedto, Foam Supplies, Inc.

For some applications froth foam may be injected into void spaces 174formed between roof assembly 40 and respective sidewall assemblies 152and 150. See FIG. 3. Pultruded or extruded panels of composite material176 may be used to cover void spaces 174. A layer or strip of compositematerial associated with the exterior of roof assembly 40 may overlap orcover a portion of extruded panels 176. In a similar manner portions ofextruded panels 176 preferably overlap adjacent side sheets 170.

Each side sheet 160 may include first surface 160 a and second surface160 b. First surface 160 a of side sheets 160 cooperate with each otherto form a portion of the interior surfaces 162 of box structure 30. Forone application side sheets 160 may be formed from twelve (12) gaugesteel. For other applications side sheets 160 may be formed fromaluminum alloys.

Hucks and other types of mechanical fasteners such as shown in FIGS. 4and 5 may be satisfactorily used to attach support posts 156 withadjacent portions of side sill assemblies 250 and 252. Layers ofinsulating material or isolators 248 may be disposed between adjacentportions of support posts 156 and respective side sill assembly 250 and252. Isolation 248 may also be disposed between longitudinal stringer230 and floor assembly 80. Isolators 248 and 302 may be formed fromvarious types of materials such as fiberglass, PVC type material or anyother satisfactory insulating material which has both the requiredstrength and desired heat transfer characteristics to provide thedesired UA factor for box structure 30.

For some applications, beams 166 formed from an insulating material suchas polyvinyl chloride (PVC) may be attached to second surface 158 ofeach support post 156. Beams 166 may also be formed from urethane foam.Side sheets 170 may be bonded with beams 166 opposite from support posts156. Various types of blocks and/or strips of insulating materials mayalso be used to couple side sheets 170 with respective support posts156. Placing beams 166 between support post 156 and adjacent portions ofside sheets 170 provides sufficient structural strength and minimizesheat transfer between the interior and exterior of box structure 30 viasupport posts 156.

For one embodiment sidewall assembly 150 may be mounted on onelongitudinal edge of railway car underframe 200 with side sill assemblyor bottom chord 250 disposed adjacent to ends of associated crossbearers or cross beams opposite from center sill 214. In a similarmanner sidewall assembly 152 may be mounted on an opposite longitudinaledge of railway car underframe 200 with side sill assembly or bottomchord 252 disposed adjacent to ends of associated cross bearers or crossbeams opposite from center sill 214. Various types of mechanicalfasteners and/or welds may be formed between side sill assemblies 250and 252 and respective cross beams or cross bearers.

Sidewall assemblies 150 and 152 preferably include respective top chords178. Top chords 178 may extend longitudinally along the respective upperedge of sidewall assemblies 150 and 152. Each top chord 178 may have across section defined by a generally “W-shaped” portion with leg 179extending therefrom. The upper portion of adjacent side sheets 160 maybe attached with the W portion of each of the associated top chord 178.See FIG. 3. Various techniques such as welding and/or mechanicalfasteners may be used to attached side sheets 160 with adjacent portionsof top chords 178.

Roof assembly 40 may be formed with a generally elongated, rectangularconfiguration. The length and width of roof assembly 40 correspondsgenerally with the desired length and width of box structure 30. Roofassembly 40 may include first longitudinal edge 41 and secondlongitudinal edge 42 spaced from each other and extending generallyparallel with each other from first lateral edge 43 to second lateraledge 44. First longitudinal edge 41 and second longitudinal edge 42 arepreferably mounted on and attached with adjacent portions of respectivesidewall assemblies 150 and 152. See FIG. 3. Various types of compositematerials and/or insulating materials may be satisfactorily used to formroof assembly 40.

Endwall assemblies 120 and 122 may be formed using similar materials andtechniques as previously described with respect to sidewall assemblies150 and 152. Endwall assemblies 120 and 122 may be formed with end beams126 having an I-beam configuration. End beams 126 disposed withinendwall assemblies 120 and 122 generally extend horizontally withrespect to each other and railway car underframe 200. See FIG. 7.

End beams 126 may be attached with end sheets 124. Respective isolators128 formed from insulating materials such as PVC or urethane foam may beattached to each end beam 126 opposite from end sheets 124. End sheets130 may be attached to isolators 128 to form the exterior of end wallassemblies 120 and 122. Foam insulation 88 may be disposed between andbonded with adjacent portions of end beams 126, end sheets 124 andadjacent portions of end sheets 130. For one embodiment endwall assembly120 may be mounted on the first end or A end may be of railway carunderframe 200. In a similar manner, endwall assembly 122 may be mountedon the second end or B end of railway car underframe 200.

Each endwall assembly 120 and 122 preferably includes a respective topchord or top plate 132 attached with upper portions of adjacent endsheets 124. Roof assembly 40 may be attached to and/or bonded withrespective top chords 178 of sidewall assemblies 150, 152 and top chordsor top plates 132 of endwall assemblies 120 and 122. Insulating foam ispreferably disposed within respective joints or flexible connectionsformed between roof assembly 40 and adjacent portions of sidewallassemblies 150 and 152. Trim molding (not expressly shown) may be bondedwith adjacent portions of roof assembly 40 and sidewall assemblies 150and 152.

Each sidewall assembly 150 and 152 preferably includes respectiveopenings 154 with door assembly 180 attached thereto and slidablymounted thereon. See FIGS. 1 and 2. Each door assembly 180 has a firstposition blocking respective opening 154 to form a barrier betweeninterior 32 and the exterior of box structure 30. Each door assembly 180has a second position which allows access to interior 32 of boxstructure 30 through respective opening 154. Various types of doors maybe satisfactory used with box structure 30, including doors fabricatedfrom steel and/or wood, or doors fabricated from composite materials.

Door assemblies 180 may be formed from materials with thermal insulationcharacteristics corresponding with the associated sidewall assembly 150and 152. Each door assembly 180 is preferably mounted on respectivesidewall assemblies 150 and 152 adjacent to respective portion 150 b and152 b using conventional hardware such as operating pipes, operatingmechanisms, rollers, locking bars, gears and cams associated withconventional railway boxcars. Such items may be obtained from severalvendors including YSD Industries, Inc. (Youngstown Steel Door), andPennsylvania Railcar.

Each door assembly 180 will generally be slidably mounted on upper track196 and lower track 198. Door frame assembly 190 may include upper track196 and portions of top chord 178. Upper track 198 is shown attachedwith adjacent portions of top chord 178. Various welding techniquesand/or mechanical fasteners may be used as desired.

Door frame assembly 190 is preferably attached to the perimeter of eachopening 154 formed in respective sidewall assemblies 150 and 152. Eachdoor frame assembly 190 may include a pair of vertical door posts 191and door header or door retainer (not expressly shown). Upper door track196, lower door track 198, and a threshold (not expressly shown) mayalso be installed adjacent to each door frame assembly 190. Verticaldoor posts may be attached with an secured to adjacent portions ofsidewall assemblies 150 and 152. Each door header may be disposedbetween and attached to associated vertical door post at the top of eachopening 154. Door stops (not expressly shown) may be mounted on theexterior of each sidewall assembly 150 and 152 to limit movement ofassociated door assembly 180 from its first position to its secondposition.

A pair of elastomeric gaskets may be formed on the interior of each doorframe assembly 190 adjacent to the perimeter of the respective doorassembly 180. See FIG. 8. The elastomeric gaskets preferably formrespective contacts with adjacent portions of door assembly 180 wheneach door assembly 180 is in its first position. The elastomeric gasketsand portions of door frame assembly 190 cooperate with each other tominimize heat transfer between the interior and the exterior of boxstructure 30, when each door assembly 180 is in its first, closedposition. The door seal assembly shown in FIG. 8 may include aconventional door gasket or seal 192. An additional door gasket or seal194 having the general configuration of a “sharks tooth” may also beprovided. For some applications conventional door gasket or seal 192 maybe permanently attached with adjacent portions of door assembly 190.

A layer of insulating coating 300 may be placed on interior portions offloor assembly 80, sidewall assemblies 150 and 152, endwall assemblies120 and 122. Insulating coating 300 will generally not be applied tofloor assembly 80 a. See FIG. 3. For some applications, insulatingcoating 300 may have a thickness of approximately one-fourth of an inchor greater on interior surface 82 of floor assembly 80. See FIG. 4. Forsome applications, insulating coating 300 may have a ceramic microspheredensity of approximately 40% to 60%. The thickness of the coating 300 oninterior surfaces 162 of sidewall assemblies 150 and 152 and interiorsurfaces 124 of each endwall assembly 120 and 122 may be approximately0.020 inches. Fiber reinforced plastic strands may also be placed withininsulating coating 300. Coating 300 may be obtained from severalcompanies such as International Coatings.

Various types of mechanical tie down assemblies and cargo anchors may beprovided within interior 32 of box structure 30. All tie down assembliesand/or cargo anchors are preferably located adjacent to and/or attachedwith portions of sidewall assemblies 150 and 152. Floor assembly 80 mayhave a generally smooth, uniform surface 82 without any tie downassemblies and/or cargo anchors disposed therein.

The load restraint system shown in FIGS. 3-6 may include two systems,floor anchor system 50 and sidewall anchor system 52. For someembodiments floor anchor system 50 may include subsystems 50 a and 50 b.Floor subsystems 50 a and 50 b may have similar features and performancecharacteristics. Floor anchor subsystem 50 a may be installed adjacentto respective side sill assembly 250 and floor anchor subsystem 50 b maybe installed adjacent to side sill assembly 252. Floor anchor system 50may be designed to accommodate loads of 24,000 pounds or greater similarto conventional floor anchors for boxcars. Problems with clean out ofconventional floor anchors and increased heat transfer associated withconventional floor anchors have previously been noted.

Floor anchor subsystem 50 a may include anchor restraint 56 a with aplurality of openings 58 formed therein. Anchor restraint 56 a may begenerally described as an angle attached to and extending longitudinallyalong surface 251 of side sill 250. For some applications anchorrestraint 56 a may be described as a longitudinal supporting memberformed from a generally L-shaped angle. Floor anchor subsystem 50 b mayinclude anchor restraint 56 b similar to anchor restraint 56 a.

Anchor restraints 56 a and 56 b may be attached with respective surfaces251 of side sill assemblies 250 and 252. Anchor restraints 56 a and 56 bmay extend along substantially the full length of respective side sillassemblies 250 and 252. Anchor restraints 56 a and 56 b may be formedfrom metal angles having desired dimensions compatible with railway carunderframe 200, sidewall assemblies 150 and 152 and floor assembly 80.For example, metal nailable floor assembly 80 a may require the use ofangles which provide a greater height to accommodate the increasedthickness associated with metal planks 84. A plurality of openings 58are preferably formed in each anchor restraint 56 a and 56 b. Openings58 extend into adjacent portions of sidewall assemblies 150 and 152.U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,651 entitled “Railcar Anchor and Load SnuggerArrangement” shows one example of load restraining anchor assemblieswhich may be releasably engaged with respective openings or holes 58 atdesired locations within box structure 30.

As shown in FIG. 4 a plurality of bolts or Huck type fasteners 246 maybe satisfactorily used to securely engage each anchor restraint 56 a and56 b with respective side sills 250 and 252. A layer of thermalinsulating material 248 may be disposed between surface 251 ofrespective side sill 250 and associated anchor restraint 56 b. Othertypes of mechanical fasteners may also be satisfactorily used to attachanchor restraints 56 a and 56 b with respective side sills 250 and 252.The present invention is not limited to use with Huck type fasteners246.

A plurality of generally U-shaped enclosures 60 are preferably disposedwithin sidewall assembly 150 between adjacent support posts 156proximate respective openings 58. Similar U-shaped enclosures (notexpressly shown) may be installed in sidewall assembly 152. The locationof enclosures 60 is preferably selected to correspond with anchorrestraints 56 a and 56 b and respective openings 58. During clean out ofbox structure 30, enclosures 60 prevent water or other fluids fromcontacting foam insulation disposed between side sheets 170 and sidesheets 160.

Some boxcars may include relatively wide (approximately 16 feet)openings and corresponding door assemblies. For boxcars with relativelywide openings in the associated sidewall assemblies, one or moreconventional cargo anchors may be disposed within the associated floorassembly in the general vicinity of the door opening to allow increasedflexibility in positioning and tying down lading. Dotted lines 40 inFIG. 2 represent combined floor anchors and drain systems which may beincluded as part of boxcars 20 and/or 320. Additional details aboutfloor anchor systems combined with drain systems incorporating teachingsof the present invention are shown in FIG. 13.

FIGS. 3 and 6 show examples of various components associated withsidewall anchor system 52 formed in accordance with teachings of thepresent invention. For some applications the components of sidewallanchor system 52 may support loads of approximately 8,000 pounds.Support posts 156 may be described as having a generally channel shapedor hat shaped cross section. Support post 156 may also be described as agenerally C-shaped channel defined in part by web 158 with respectivelegs 159 extending therefrom. Respective flanges 164 extend from legs159 opposite from web 158. Side sheets 160 may be attached withrespective first surfaces 157 of flanges 164 to form interior surfaces162 sidewall assembly 150 and 152.

A plurality of indentations or pockets 62 may be formed in side sheets160 approximate the center of selected support posts 156. For someapplications a row of generally hexagonally shaped indentations 62 maybe formed in side sheets 160 extending vertically along the selectedsupport posts 156. Each column of indentations 62 may extend fromapproximately twelve inches (12″) above floor assembly 80 to a selectedlocation beneath roof assembly 40. Various types of cargo anchors andtie down assemblies may be secured within each indentation 62 usingconventional techniques associated with fabrication of railway cars. Forembodiments of present invention as shown in FIG. 6 and 10 respectivecargo anchors 64 may be disposed within each opening or indentation 62.Cargo anchors may be obtained from several companies including IRECOInc. located in Chicago, Ill.

Insulated boxcar 320 as shown in FIG. 9 preferably includes boxstructure 330 mounted on railway car underframe 200. Insulated boxcar320 may be modified to include a temperature control system (notexpressly shown) and an airflow management system (not expressly shown).For embodiments of the present invention as shown in FIGS. 9-12,insulated boxcar 320 may have a similar configuration and dimensions aspreviously described with respect to insulated boxcar 20. Insulatedboxcar 320 may be formed with roof assembly 40 and floor assembly 80 orfloor assembly 80 a as previously described with respect to insulatedboxcar 20. Box structure 330 preferably includes various componentsassociated with floor anchor system 50 and sidewall anchor system 52.

Each sidewall assembly 350 preferably includes a respective opening withdoor assembly 180 slidably mounted thereon. Door stops (not expresslyshown) may be placed on upper track 196 and lower track 198.

Box structure 330 may be formed with a pair of sidewall assemblies 350and a pair of endwall assemblies 322. For some applications, sidewallassemblies 350 may have a generally uniform wall thickness ofapproximately five and nine sixteenths inches (5{fraction (9/16)}″) toprovide desired thermal insulation characteristics. Each sidewallassembly 350 may have substantially the same configurations anddimensions defined in part by a relatively uniform thickness extendingbetween endwall assemblies 322.

Many railway boxcars are manufactured with openings and doors having anominal width of approximately twelve (12) feet. Floor anchor system 50will generally provide sufficient anchor locations such that traditionalcargo loading patterns may be used. For boxcars (not expressly shown)with sidewall openings and doors having a nominal width of approximatelysixteen (16) feet, one or more conventional cargo anchors or loadrestraints may disposed within the associated floor assembly proximatethe each opening in the associated sidewall assembly See dotted lines 66of FIG. 2. Limiting the use of cargo anchors and/or load restraints tothe vicinity of the door openings will still provide benefits of thepresent invention with respect to increased thermal insulation,increased enhanced clean out ability and substantial reduction inpotential damage to lading transported within the respective boxcar andat the same time, provide traditional load carrying patterns.

Interior and exterior surfaces of each sidewall assembly 350 may beformed by a plurality of side sheets 360 and 370. For some applicationsside sheets 370 may be metal sheets with a nominal thickness ofapproximately {fraction (3/16)}ths of an inch. Side sheets 360 may bemetal sheets with a nominal thickness of approximately ⅛th of inch. Forother applications, interior surfaces of box structure 330 may be panelsor sheets formed from wood and/or various types of composite materials.A plurality of support posts 356 may be disposed between and bonded withrespective side sheets 370 and 360. For some embodiments as shown inFIGS. 10 and 11, support posts 356 may have the general configuration ofan I-beam. Each support post 356 preferably includes first surface 357and second surface 358. Respective side sheets 370 may be attached withsecond surface 358 of each support post 356.

For some applications a plurality of back-up plates 380 may be attachedwith first surface 357 of selected support posts 356 associated withsidewall anchor system 52. See FIG. 10. Back-up plates 380 may be formedfrom metal alloys or composite materials. Isolator 372 may be attachedwith each support plate 360. A generally C-shaped channel 374 may thenbe attached with each isolator 372 extending therefrom. A plurality ofopenings or indentations 62 are perfectly formed in each side sheet 360at a location corresponding approximately with the respective C-shapedchannels 374. For some applications, seven (7) cargo anchors 64 may beinstalled in respective indentations 62 adjacent to selected supportposts 356 associated with sidewall anchor system 52.

Isolators 382 (not shown in FIG. 10) may also be attached to supportposts 356 between adjacent indentations 62 to provide additional supportfor side sheets 160. Isolators 382 may be particularly beneficial as thedistance between adjacent indentation 62 increases. For example,isolators 382 may be used when the distance between indentations isapproximately two feet. The number of cargo anchors 64 may be varied asdesired for each boxcar design.

The interior surfaces of a boxcar are often divided into quadrantsdefined in part by openings for the respective door assemblies. Withineach quadrant, four sidewall anchor systems 52 b may be disposed onselected support posts 356. For example, four support posts 356 may beselected within each quadrant to form sidewall anchor system 52.

FIG. 11 shows one of the support posts 356 which is not associated withsidewall anchor system 52. A plurality of PVC blocks or isolators 382are preferably disposed between the first surface of support post 356and metal sheets 360. Insulating foam 88 may also be disposed betweenrespective isolators 382. Insulating foam 88 may also be disposedbetween isolators 382 and interior surfaces of side sheets 370 and 360.Isolators 372 and 382 may be formed from PVC type materials or othercomposite materials with desire heat transfer characteristics.

End wall assemblies 322 may be formed using similar materials andtechniques as previously described with respect to sidewall assemblies350. End wall assemblies may be formed with end beams 326 having anI-beam type configuration. End beams 326 may be disposed within endwallassemblies 322 extending generally horizontally with respect to eachother and railway car underframe 200. See FIG. 12. End beams 326 may beattached with exterior end sheet 328. Respective isolators 332 formedfrom various types of insulating materials may be disposed between eachend beam 326 and interior end sheet 324. Foam insulation 88 may bedisposed between and bonded with adjacent portions of end beams 326 andend sheets 324 and 328. One endwall assembly 322 may be mounted on thefirst end or A end of railway car underframe 200. In a similar manner,another endwall assembly 322 may be mounted on the second end or B endof railway car underframe 200.

FIG. 13 shows one example of a floor anchor system combined with a drainsystem in accordance with teachings of the present invention. Flooranchor system 400 preferably includes metal plate 402 disposed adjacentto door opening 154 formed in sidewall assembly 152. For purposes ofdescribing various features of the present invention, portions ofsidewall assembly 152 and floor assembly 80 are shown in FIG. 13 withassociate door 180 in its second, open position. A similar floor anchorsystem (not expressly shown) may also be disposed adjacent to dooropening 154 formed in sidewall assembly 150.

For some applications, cargo anchor plate 402 may have dimensions ofapproximately sixteen feet (16′) in length, nine and one-halfinches(9½″) inches in width and approximately one-half inch (½″) inthickness. A plurality of openings 404 may be formed in cargo anchorplate 402 for use in securing lading. Longitudinal edge 403 of cargoanchor plate 402 may be disposed on and attached to longitudinalstringer 230 adjacent to door opening 154. Longitudinal edge 401 may besecurely engaged with angle 406 which is attached to sidesill assembly252 immediately adjacent to respective door opening 154. Threshold 408formed from PVC or other types of composite materials may be securelyattached with angle 406. For some applications, metal reinforcing plate410 may be disposed within threshold 408. A plurality of huck typefasteners 412 may be used to securely engage longitudinal edge 401 ofcargo anchor plate 402 with threshold 408 and angle 406.

Drain system 440 may include generally U shaped channel 442 attached toand extending downwardly from cargo anchor plate 402. Channel 442cooperates with cargo anchor plate 402 to form cargo anchor cavity 444which communicates with openings 404. The length of channel 442 may beselected to correspond approximately with the length of cargo anchorplate 402. Respective end closures 470 may be attached to opposite endsof channel 442.

At least one opening may be formed in channel 442 to allow removal ofwater and other liquids from cargo anchor cavity 444. For someapplications such as shown in FIG. 13, respective openings 446 may beformed proximate opposite ends of channel 442. Respective metal pipes450 may be engaged with channel 442 proximate each opening 446. For someapplications, pipes 452 formed from PVC or other types of compositematerials may be disposed within and securely attached to the interiorof respective pipes 450. Various techniques such as adhesive bonding maybe satisfactorily used to securely engage each pipe 452 withinrespective pipe 450. For some applications, cap 454 may be engages withthe end of each pipe 452 opposite from cargo anchor cavity 444. For someapplications, threaded connections may be used to engage cap 454 withrespective pipe 452. However, a wide variety of plugs, caps and othertyped of closures may be satisfactorily used with a floor anchor systemand drain system incorporating teachings of the present invention. Thepresent invention is not limited to pipes 450 and 452 and cap 454 asshown in FIG. 13.

For the embodiment shown in FIG. 13 floor assembly 80 may include sheets480 of PVC type material disposed on surface 82 of floor assembly 80.PVC sheets 480 may be used as an alternative to previously describedcoating 300. Relatively thin strip 248 a formed from PVC type materialmay be used to accommodate any differences between the thickness ofcargo anchor plate 402 and the combined thickness of floor assembly 80with sheets 480. Strip 248 a may be used to provide a smooth entranceadjacent to associated opening 154.

One example of a boxcar formed in accordance with teachings of thepresent invention may have the following features:

-   -   286,000 lb. Gross Rail Load;    -   Standard car equipped with two 8′-0″ wide by 12′-4″ high        insulated plug doors;    -   optional 15″ end-of-car cushioning unit;    -   Meets AAR Plate “F” Clearance Diagram;    -   Optional wireless monitoring system;    -   Ceramic/epoxy coating on interior surfaces;    -   Conventional urethane foam insulation;    -   Durable, wood free interior materials; and

Lightweight nonmetallic exterior surfaces. Length Inside 60′-9″ LengthOver Coupler Pulling Faces 69′-¾″ Length over Strikers 64′-8¾″ LOengthBetween Truck Centers 46′-3″ Truck Wheel Base 5′-10″ Width, Extreme10′-6 ⅝″ Width, Inside 9′-6″ Height, Extreme 16″-11 ⅞″ Height Inside atCenter Line of Car 12′-10¾″ Estimated Lightweight 89,000 lbs. EstimatedLoad Limit Based on 286,000 lbs. Gross Rail Load 97,000 lbs. Gross RailLoad 286,000 lbs. Cubic Capacity (Between bulkheads) 7,442 cubic feetCubic Capacity (Level with height of sides) 7,442 cubic feet

Although the present invention and its advantages have been described indetail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions andalternations can be made herein without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

1. An insulated boxcar comprising: a box structure defined in part by apair of sidewall assemblies, a pair of endwall assemblies, a floorassembly and a roof assembly; the floor assembly mounted on a railwaycar underframe; the sidewall assemblies mounted on the railway carunderframe adjacent to opposite sides of the floor assembly; arespective longitudinal joint formed between each sidewall assembly andadjacent portions of the floor assembly; each sidewall assembly havingan exterior surface and an interior surface with insulating materialsdisposed therebetween; a plurality of support posts disposed between theinterior surface and the exterior surface of each sidewall assembly;portions of a cargo restraining system disposed within each sidewallassembly proximate the respective joint with the floor assembly; and nocargo anchors disposed within the floor assembly.
 2. The insulatedboxcar of claim 1 wherein the cargo restraining system furthercomprises: respective anchor restraints extending longitudinally alongopposite sides of the floor assembly; each anchor restraint disposedadjacent to one of the sidewall assemblies proximate the respectivelongitudinal joint between the sidewall assembly and the floor assembly;a plurality of openings formed in each anchor restraint; the openingssized to receive cargo anchor assemblies; and enclosures disposed withineach sidewall assembly adjacent to the openings in the respective anchorrestraint.
 3. The insulated boxcar of claim 1 further comprising:respective angles extending longitudinally along opposite sides of thefloor assembly; each angle disposed adjacent to and securely engagedwith one of the sidewall assemblies proximate the respectivelongitudinal joint between the sidewall assembly and the floor assembly;a plurality of openings formed in each angle; the openings sized toreceive cargo anchor assemblies; generally U-shaped channels disposedwithin each sidewall assembly adjacent to the openings in the respectiveangle; and the generally U-shaped channels cooperating with each otherto prevent fluids used to clean the floor assembly from contaminatinginsulating materials disposed within the respective wall assembly. 4.The insulated boxcar of claim 1 comprising: the exterior surface of eachsidewall assembly formed in part by layers of fiber reinforced plasticmaterial; the interior surface of each sidewall assembly formed in partby metal sheets; and the insulating materials disposed between andbonded with the layer of fiber reinforced plastic material and the metalsheets.
 5. The insulated boxcar of claim 1 comprising: the exteriorsurface of each sidewall assembly formed in part by metal sheets; theinterior surface of each sidewall assembly formed in part by layers offiber reinforced plastic material; and the insulating materials disposedbetween and bonded with the layer of fiber reinforced plastic materialand the metal sheets.
 6. The insulated boxcar of claim 1 furthercomprising: the exterior surface of each sidewall assembly formed inpart by a plurality of metal sheets; the interior surface of eachsidewall assembly formed in part by a plurality of metal sheets; and theinsulating materials disposed between and bonded with the metal sheetsforming the exterior surface and the metal sheets forming the interiorsurface.
 7. The insulated boxcar of claim 1 further comprising: therailway car underframe having a pair of side sill assemblies attachedthereto and extending longitudinally along opposite sides of the railwaycar underframe; the support posts of each sidewall assembly attachedwith one of the respective side sill assemblies; the interior surface ofeach sidewall assembly attached to respective first surfaces of thesupport posts; the support posts formed from metal alloys; a respectiveI-beam formed from a thermal insulating material, attached to a secondsurface of each support post opposite from the interior surface; aplurality of pockets formed within the interior surface of each sidewallassembly; each pocket disposed adjacent to one of the support posts; anda cargo anchor disposed within each pocket and securely engaged with therespective sidewall assembly.
 8. The insulated boxcar of claim 1 furthercomprising: the railway car underframe having a pair of side sillassemblies attached thereto and extending longitudinally along oppositesides of the railway car underframe; the support posts of each sidewallassembly attached with a respective side sill assemblies; the supportposts formed from metallic material; each support post having a firstsurface and a second surface; the exterior surface of each sidewallassembly attached to the second surface of associated support posts;thermal isolating material disposed between the first surface of eachsupport post and adjacent portions of the associated interior surface; aplurality of pockets formed within the interior surface of each sidewallassembly; each pocket disposed adjacent to the thermal insulatingmaterial on one of the support posts; and a cargo anchor disposed withineach pocket and securely engaged with the respective sidewall assembly.9. The insulated boxcar of claim 1 further comprising: each support posthaving an I-beam cross section; a respective backup plate attached tothe first surface of each support post; the thermal insulating materialattached to one of the backup plates opposite from the associatedsupport port; a generally U-shaped channel disposed between the thermalinsulating material and the interior surface of the associated sidewallassembly; and each pocket disposed in one of the U-shaped channels. 10.The insulated boxcar of claim 1 further comprising: a nominal length ofsixty feet and exterior dimensions that satisfy AAR Plate F clearancerequirements; interior dimensions which provide cubic capacity equal toor greater than cubic capacity of uninsulated boxcars with a nominallength of sixty feet; and heat transfer characteristics less than a UAfactor of 300 BTU/° F./foot.
 11. The insulated boxcar of claim 1 furthercomprising the box structure satisfactory for carrying lading selectedfrom the group consisting of coiled steel, lumber, pasteurized andunpasteurized beer, wine, newsprint, paper rolls, automobile parts,household goods, perishable food products and non-perishable.
 12. Aninsulated boxcar comprising: a box structure defined in part by pair ofsidewall assemblies, a pair of endwall assemblies, a floor assembly anda roof assembly; the floor assembly mounted on a railway car underframe;the sidewall assemblies mounted on the railway car underframe adjacentto opposite sides of the floor assembly; each sidewall assembly havingan interior surface and an exterior surface with insulating materialsdisposed therebetween; a plurality of support posts disposed between theinterior surface and the exterior surface of each sidewall assembly; theinterior surface of each sidewall assembly attached to respective firstsurfaces of the support posts; a beam, formed from thermal isolatingmaterial, attached to a second surface of each support post oppositefrom the interior surface; the exterior surface of each sidewallassembly disposed adjacent to and attached to the I-beams opposite fromthe associated support posts; a plurality of pockets formed within theinterior surface of each sidewall assembly; each pocket disposedadjacent to one of the support posts; and a cargo anchor disposed withineach pocket and securely engaged with the respective sidewall assembly.13. The insulated boxcar of claim 12 further comprising the supportposts formed from materials selected from the group consisting of steelalloys, aluminum alloys and composite materials.
 14. The insulatedboxcar of claim 12 further comprising each beam having an I-beam typecross-section and each support post having a hat type cross section. 15.The insulated boxcar of claim 12 further comprising: respective anchorrestraints extending longitudinally along opposite sides of the floorassembly; each anchor restraint disposed adjacent to one of the sidewallassemblies proximate a respective longitudinal joint between thesidewall assembly and the floor assembly; a plurality of openings formedin each anchor restraint; the openings sized to receive cargo anchorassemblies; and enclosures disposed within each sidewall assemblyadjacent to the openings in the respective anchor restraint.
 16. Aninsulated boxcar comprising: a box structure defined in part by pair ofsidewall assemblies, a pair of endwall assemblies, a floor assembly anda roof assembly; the floor assembly mounted on a railway car underframe;the sidewall assemblies mounted on the railway car underframe adjacentto opposite sides of the floor assembly; each sidewall assembly havingan interior surface and an exterior surface with insulating materialsdisposed therebetween; a plurality of support posts disposed between theinterior surface and the exterior surface of each sidewall assembly;each support post having a first surface and a second surface; theexterior surface of each sidewall assembly attached to second surfacesof the respective support posts; thermal isolating material disposedbetween the first surface of each support post and adjacent portions ofthe interior surface of each sidewall assembly; a plurality of pocketsformed within the interior surface of each sidewall assembly; eachpocket disposed adjacent to one of the support posts; and a cargo anchordisposed within each pocket and securely engaged with the respectivesidewall assembly.
 17. The insulated boxcar of claim 16 furthercomprising the support posts formed from materials selected from thegroup consisting of steel alloys, aluminum alloys, composite materialsand pultrusions and extrusions of these materials.
 18. The insulatedboxcar of claim 16 further comprising: a respective backup platedisposed between the first surface of each support post and theassociated thermal isolating material; and a plurality of generallyC-shaped channels respectively disposed between the thermal isolatingmaterial and the first surface of each sidewall assembly.
 19. Theinsulated boxcar of claim 18 further comprising each pocket extendinginto one of the generally C-shaped channels.
 20. An insulated boxcarcomprising: a railway car underframe having a floor assembly mountedthereon and attached thereto; the railway car underframe and the floorassembly having generally elongated, rectangular configurations; a pairof sidewall assemblies mounted on and attached to opposite sides of therailway car underframe; a pair of endwall assemblies mounted on andattached to opposite ends of the railway car underframe; a roof assemblyattached to the sidewall assemblies and the endwall assemblies oppositefrom the floor assembly; each sidewall assembly having an exteriorsurface and an interior surface; a plurality of support posts disposedbetween the interior surface and the exterior surface of each sidewallassembly; a cargo restraining system defined in part by a floor anchorsystem disposed adjacent to the floor assembly and a plurality ofsidewall anchor assemblies disposed within each sidewall assembly;portions of the floor anchor system disposed within respective sidewallassemblies; each sidewall anchor assembly defined in part by a pocketformed in the interior surface of one of the sidewall assembliesadjacent to one of the support posts; and a respective cargo anchordisposed within each pocket.
 21. The insulated boxcar of claim 20further comprising a plurality of thermal insulators disposed betweeneach sidewall anchor assembly and the associated support post to improveheat transfer ratings of the insulated boxcar.
 22. The insulated boxcarof claim 20 further comprising no cargo anchors disposed within thefloor assembly.
 23. The insulated boxcar of claim 20 further comprising:each sidewall assembly having an opening formed therein to accommodate arespective door assembly; cargo anchors disposed within the floorassembly proximate the openings in the sidewall assemblies; and no othercargo anchors disposed within the floor assembly.
 24. A boxcarcomprising: a box structure defined in part by a pair of sidewallassemblies and a pair of endwall assemblies mounted on a railway carunderframe; each sidewall assembly having an exterior surface and aninterior surface; a plurality of support posts disposed between theinterior surface and the exterior surface of each sidewall assembly; afloor assembly mounted on the railway car underframe; respective anglesextending longitudinally along opposite sides of the floor assembly;each angle disposed adjacent to and engaged with one of the sidewallassemblies proximate a respective longitudinal joint between thesidewall assembly and the floor assembly; a plurality of openings formedin each angle; and the openings sized to receive cargo anchorassemblies.
 25. The boxcar of claim 24 further comprising: each exteriorsurface of each sidewall assembly formed in part by material selectedfrom the group consisting of wood, steel, aluminum and fiber reinforcedplastic; and the interior surface of each sidewall assembly formed inpart by material selected from the group consisting of wood, steel,aluminum and fiber reinforced plastic.
 26. The boxcar of claim 24further comprising: the exterior surface of each sidewall assemblyformed at least in part from material selected from the group consistingof steel alloys, aluminum alloys, other metal alloys satisfactory formanufacturing railway cars, wood, fiber reinforced plastic materials andother composite materials; and the interior surface of each sidewallassembly formed at least in part from material selected from the groupconsisting of steel alloys, aluminum alloys, other metal alloyssatisfactory for manufacturing railway cars, wood, fiber reinforcedplastic materials and other composite materials.
 27. The boxcar of claim24 further comprising steel interior surfaces disposed within the boxstructure satisfactory for carrying lading selected from the groupconsisting of coiled steel, lumber, pasteurized and unpasteurized beer,wine, newsprint, paper rolls, paper products, automobile parts,household goods, appliances, electronic equipment, liquid filledcontainers, non-perishable food products and other packaged goods. 28.The boxcar of claim 24 further comprising the support posts selectedfrom the group consisting of steel alloys, aluminum alloys and compositematerials.
 29. The boxcar of claim 24 further comprising: each sidewallassembly having an opening with a respective door slidably disposed onthe exterior of the sidewall assembly; and each door having a first,closed position which blocks access to the interior of the box structureand a second, open position which allows access to the interior of thebox structure.
 30. An insulated boxcar comprising: a box structuredefined in part by a pair of sidewall assemblies, a pair of endwallassemblies, a floor assembly and a roof assembly; the floor assemblymounted on a railway car underframe; the sidewall assemblies mounted onthe railway car underframe adjacent to respective longitudinal edges ofthe floor assembly; each sidewall assembly having an exterior surfaceand an interior surface with insulating materials disposed therebetween;a plurality of support posts disposed between the interior surface andthe exterior surface of each sidewall assembly; a respective openingformed in each sidewall assembly to provide access to interior portionsof the box structures; portions of a load restraint system disposedwithin each sidewall assembly; cargo anchors disposed within the floorassembly only at locations proximate the respective opening in eachsidewall assembly; and no cargo anchors disposed within other portionsof the floor assembly.
 31. An insulated boxcar comprising: a boxstructure defined in part by a pair of sidewall assemblies, a pair ofendwall assemblies, a floor assembly and a roof assembly; the floorassembly mounted on a railway car underframe; the sidewall assembliesmounted on the railway car underframe the floor assembly; a respectiveopening formed in each sidewall assembly to provide access to interiorportions of the box structures; cargo anchors disposed within the floorassembly at locations proximate the respective opening in each sidewallassembly; and a drain system coupled with the cargo anchors disposed inthe floor assembly to allow removal of water and any other liquidcollected in the cargo anchors.
 32. The insulated boxcar of claim 31further comprising: the cargo anchors defined in part by an elongatedcargo anchor plate attached with adjacent portions of the railway carunderframe proximate the opening in each sidewall assembly; a pluralityof openings formed in each plate for use in securing lading at a desiredlocation within the insulated boxcar; the drain system defined in partby a generally U shaped channel attached with each cargo anchor plate toform a cargo anchor cavity communicating with the respective openings ineach plate; and at least one opening formed in the generally U shapedchannel to allow water and other liquids to drain from the cargo anchorcavity.
 33. The insulated boxcar of claim 32 wherein the drain systemfurther comprises: respective openings formed in the cargo anchor cavityadjacent to each end thereof; a first metal pipe securely engaged witheach opening; a respective second pipe formed from composite materialsengaged with each first pipe for use in communicating water and otherliquids from the cargo anchor cavity; and a cap releasably engaged withone end of each second pipe opposite from the cargo anchor cavity.